Safety price tag



March 6, 1934. l w HUTT 1,950,053

SAFETY PRICE TAG Filed Dec. 9, 1932 '2. IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII" 'i'.III'IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII/ Patented 6, 1934 SAFETY PRICE TAG James William Hutt, Termite, @ntario, Canada Application December 9, i932, Serial No. 646,391

(Cl. iii- 25) 1 filaim.

The invention relates to price tags of the type that cannot be removed without their defacement and are designed for the use of stores that men chandise goods on the returnable plan. Their use is to prevent as far as possible the wearing of articles of apparel and the like for a short time and their subsequent return for purposes of exchange or refund.

One prevailing disadvantage of most of these tags is that their structure is such that they of necessity have to be attached to the edge of the material or garment, which with a garment or the like allows of its being tucked or pinned in interiorly, thus defeating the intention of preventing the garment being used.

Since the present invention enables the price tag to be pinned to the surface of material, any position may be chosen for its attachment, which would invite placing it in a conspicuous place upon wearing apparel and one which would not allow of its being concealed from sight so that the article could be worn.

The primary object of the invention is to produce a tag structure in which the body portion is attached to goods by a pin that can only be removed therefrom by its pinhead which is rendered inaccessible by the permanent securing down of a flap or foldable section by an eyelet. The pinhead is preferably disposed adjacent to the hinge or fold of the flap so that when this flap is folded it prevents extraction of the fastener. A further and important feature resides in the provision for enabling the tags to be shipped to the merchant with the eyelets in place in order to save this operation being performed when using the tag. Additionally the flap is specially designed to temporarily engage the eyelet in order that said flap may be held for permanent attachment by the upsetting of the eyelet. The hole 0 in the flap is slotted so that the edge of the hole may spread to allow the flap to be forced over an enlarged portion of the eyelet.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the tag permanently secured to a piece of material.

Figure 2 is a similar view but showing the tag pinned to the material and the flap or foldable section raised.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged section through the flap end of the tag depicting the manner in which the slit edge of the hole in the flap spreads to fit over the enlarged end of the eyelet.

Figure 5 is a similar view of the tag showing the slit hole in the flap in alignment with the eyelet hole in the body portion.

Figure 6 is a further section of the tag in which the flap is shown fitted over the eyelet.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary plan view of the flap illustrating the sloted hole for the eyelet.

Like numerals of referen e indicate corresponding parts in each of the figures throughout the drawing of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing, the reference numeral 8 denotes a piece of goods to which the price tag is attached. This is shown by way of illustration only as it is understood that the tag may be used for various articles to which it can be pinned. It is however particularly suitable for wearing apparel.

The tag in its preferred construction shown in the drawing, comprises a length of pasteboard or like material having a body portion 9 and an integral flap or foldable section 10 designed to fold 76 at the bight or bend line 11 extending transversely of the tags length. The fiap has a hole 12 in its free end and when folded flat upon the body portion this hole registers with a hole 13 therein.

A fastener 14 in the form of an eyelet or tubular rivet is inserted in the registering holes 12 and 13 and when upset permanently secures the flap in its folded position.

In carrying out this invention, the body portion of the tag is pinned to the surface of an article or material by a common pin 15. The pin is forced through the body portion at 16 and then through the goods 8. It is returned through the body portion at 17 so that the point 18 is directed away from the bight 11 of the flap 10; the head 19 being in juxtaposition to the bight. In practice the point at which the pin is to first pierce the tag is indicated by a suitable mark. This mark is disposed as close to the bight as conveniently possible in order that the pinhead will lie close to the bight.

It will be apparent that in inserting the pin with its head adjacent to the bight of the flap and its point directed away from the bight, the. .1 folding down of the flap prevents the pin from being extracted. When the flap is permanently secured by the eyelet the pin cannot be removed and replaced without showing that the ticket has been tampered with.

Whilst the eyelet is shown as a permanent fastener for the flap, it is understood that other fastening means may be substituted without depa t from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Adverting to the other feature of invention residing in the means for temporarily attaching the flap or foldable section of the tag on the eyelet until it is permanently secured by upsetting the eyelet; this consists of the special construction of the eyelet and the flap. The eyelet or tubular rivet is inserted in the hole of the body portion and its tubular portion 20 rises therefrom on the flap side of the tag. The base 21 is formed as usual by upsetting the metal and constitutes a shoulder. Subsequent to insertion of the rivet in the body portion the upper end is spread annularly to enlarge its diameter. This flared end 22 secures the rivet to the tag body and provides a head end of greater size than the hole in the flap.

The flap or foldable portion of the tag has a number of incisions 23 leading inwardly from the edge of the hole 12, which incisions may be termed slits or slots that weaken the edge of the hole, which is of a diameter to fit over the rivet body but not the head 22.

The flap is forced down upon the rivet, the edges of the hole 12 flexing until they spread sufficiently to pass over the enlarged headsee Figure 4. This retains the flap in place on the rivet and facilitates its permanent attachment which consists of upsetting the head in usual mannersee Figure 3.

It will be manifest that whilst the mode of temporarily securing the fiap is desirable and advantageous in conjunction with the particular pin fastener herein shown, it need not however be confined to it as it is of general utility.

What I claim is:

The combination of an article and a tag structure attached thereto, said tag structure comprising a narrow strip of pasteboard having an opening in its body portion, a pointed pin having a head, said pin being passed through said strip and the article and returned theret'nrough, said strip having an end folded over the pin with the bight disposed transversely of the pin head, said end being of a greater length than the pin so as to extend beyond the same, the extremity of the end beyond the pin point being pierced to provide an opening in register with the opening in the body portion of the strip, and a permanent fastener lodged in said openings and upset to inseparably secure the end of the strip so as to preclude extraction of the pin.

JAMES WILLIAM HUT'I. 

